Device for handling wire connecters



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,635

, F. A. BROWN DEVICE FOR HANDLING WIRE CONNECTERS Filed April 23, 1923 firm ,4 Brawn Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

I V 1,648,635 .UNITED' STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED A. BROWN, OF L'OS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

DEVICE FOR HANDLING WIRE CONNECTERS.

Application filed April 23, 1923. Serial No. 634,169.

' This invention relates to a device for handling wire connecters to apply them, and it is an object of the invention to provide a simple, effective, and reliable device of this character.

In numerous situations it is desirable to connect with a power line, or thelike, without deenergizing it. For instance, where power lines run through agricultural districts it often becomes necessary to connect take-off lines with the power lines to operate'pumping plants, etc. In a situation of this kind it is very detrimental and inconvenient to kill the power line in order to make a connection as this means that operation is stopped at all points supplied by the power line. I V v For the purpose of making connections as quickly as possibleand thereby reduc ng the time necessary to make the connections of the character above mentioned, .connecters have been developed which clip the wires together quickly so that they remain connected until such time as it is convenient to make a permanent connection.

It is an object of this invention to provide means for holding a wire connecter, such as I have just referred to, so that it can be applied to an energized line without danger to the operator.

Another object of this invention is to provide jaws which can be applied to adevice such as is commonly known as a fuse grabber to make it suitable for handling a wire connecter.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detail description of a typical preferred form and application thereof, throughout which description reference' is had to the accompanying-drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation showing a device embodying the present invention holding a typical wire co-nnecter in position ready to be applied to a wire;

Fig. 2- is a rear elevation of the device shown in Fig.1, being a view taken as indicated by the line 2-2 on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the wire con necter alone; Fig. 4: is a detail sectional View, taken as indicated by the line 4-4 on Fig. 1; and

Fig.5 is a detail sectional View, taken as indicated by line 5-5 on Fig. 4..

In the drawings, numeral 10 designates,

V rib 18 extending to illustrate in the drawings includes a main part 13., a jaw 14 pivotally connected with the main part, and a spring 15 arranged in. i

combination with the main. part and jaw 14 sothat they are normally yieldingly held together in a manner to grip a wire, or the like. The main part13 of the connecter 10 v has a jaw portion 16, which is comparatively broad and faces the jaw .14; a socket 17 at. the outer end of the jaw portion 16; a from the rear of the jaw flange part 19 at the inner jaw portion 16 and extending of the jaw, portion 1 6. The socket 17 has an opening .20 adapted to receive the end portion of a suitable wire 21 and carries a screw 22 for setting the end of the wire in the opening. The rib part 18 extends between the jaw portion 16 and flange 19, as I have clearly illustrated in the various figures of the drawings, and there is an opening 23 extending through the rib 18 at the corner formed by the jaw portion 16 and flange 19. There is an indentation or groove 24 provided across the face of the jaw portion 16 to receive the wire on which the connecter is arranged. The jaw 14 is pivotally portion 16 and a end of the transversely connected on a lug 25, whichuextends from the main part'13, so that it is opposite the jaw portion 16 of the main part 13 and operates to holdthe wire in the groove 24:. The outer portions of the jaw portion 16 and jaw 14: diverge so that the device can be readily arranged on a wire so that the wire enters the. groove 24 and is retained therein by the jaw 14-. The spring l-5is arranged between the inner end portion of thejawvl t and a lug 27 extending from the outer end of the flange 19. The spring 15 operates to normally yi-eldingly hold theparts in the position clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3, so that the jaw 14: willoperate to retain a wire in the notch 24. It is to be understood that this formof wire connecter is merely typicalofthe character of device or devices that may be handled by the means provided by the present invention, and that the present inventionis not, therefore, to be considered limited in any way to this or any other specific form of wire connecter. I

The carrier, 11, which Ihave illustrated in the drawings, is in the form of adevice commonly known as a fuse grabber. It in cludes a handle part 30, a pair' of arms 31 pivotally connected with the outer end of the handle part 30, and means 32 for operating the arms so that they will grip an object. Thehandle 30 is formed of wood or a other suitable insulating material, and is made sufiiciently long so that the arms 31 are substantially removed from a person handling the device from the inner end of the handle. The operating means 32 shown in the drawin s, includes an operating rod 34 which is s idably carried parallel with the handle by guides 35, and two fingers 36 pivotally connected with the rod 34 and having sliding connection with the arms The outer portions of the fingers 36'wh1ch engage the arms 31 are normally yieldingly held together by a spring 37 When the operating rod 34 is moved" longitudinally of the handle 30 the outer portions of the fingers are moved along the arms 31. The

' arms 31 are more or less bowed or cam 1;- when the fingers are shaped so that they move toward each other moved outwardly. When the arms are thus moved toward each other they will, of course, grip an object with force equal to the strength of the spring 37. The operating rod 34ismade of non ner end of T use for ate the jaws 12in the manner hereinafter conducting described. i 1

The jaws 12 provided by the present in? vention, are adapted to be--detachably mounted on the outer ends ofthe arms 31;,

Each jaw '12 includes a body part 40 and a made tight;

shank 41. The shanks 41 are adaptedtto extend through openings 42 provided in the outer end portions of the arms 31,andwing nuts 43' are adapted to be screw threaded onto the outer ends of the shanks 41 to retain the jawsonthe arms. The abutting faces 40 of the body portions 40 and arms 31 are preferably corrugated or otherwise roughened so that the jaws are securely held against rotation when the Wing nuts 1 are With this construction, however, the jaws can be very easily and quickly arranged on or removed from the arms and can be readily adjusted as to their rotative position; The body portions 4O of the jaws 12 are designed "and proportioned so that they will rip a suitable portion of the com necter 10 when the arms 31are movedto- Devices of the character that Ihave' general characteristics necessary to opergether, and, further, so that they engage the connecter 10 in a manner to hold it rigidly and against rotation as shown in Fig. 5. In accordance withthe preferred'form of the inventionthe body portions of the jaws aremade tofgrip the rib 18 and one of them 7 is provided with a lug or extension 45 which extends into the opening 23 formed in the rib 18. The lug 45 in extending intothe T opening23 causestthe connecter to be posi- 'tiyelyheld by the jaws. Each ofthebody. parts 40 of the jaws is formed with arflat portion adapted to engagethe jawipor tion 16 of the connecter and a flat portion-f 51 adapted to engage the flange 19. hen

the jaws are in engagement with the connecter lOso thatthe lug is inposition in the opening 23 the .flat portions 50 and 51.

are seated in engagement with the jaw POI? tion 16 and flange 19 in the manner clearly illustrated in Figs/ land 5. The flatpor-i tions 50 and 51 operate tohold the connecter against rotation relative tothejaws and so i that it is particularly firm or rigid. The body portions 40 are provided with shoulders 52 at the inner ends of the fiat portions 50 and 51 to engage the edges ofthe jaw portion 16 and flange .19 tofurtherpre.

vent movement of the connecter while it is held by the jaws. i i 1 In operation, when it isdesired to connect a wire 21 with an energized wire by means of connecter 10, the connector 10 is mountw ed on the arms of a carrier 11, suchas I i.

have hereinabove described, the arms of the carrier being closed ontotheconnecter so that the connecter is gripped land held by thejaws 12'. The carrier .11 is thenina11ipulated by means of the inner end of the handle 30 so that the connecter is arranged on the energized wire so that. the wire is carried in the notch 24' and is held therein.

by the jaw 14. The arms'l13l are then re:

leasedby actuation of the operating means 32 so that the jaws-12 release the connecter and I leave it connected onqthe energized wire. Itwill beobviousthatthis operation can bevery [easily and quickly carried out r.

and thatit can: be done with perfect, safety, even. though wire to which the connecter is applied. is energized. In practical opera: tion connecters of this character have been applied to wires carrying as high as fifteen thousand Volts; In practice it is desirable, of course, to have the connecter ,10 carried in different positions by the carrier so that it p can be mounted on a wire. in the most ad- 1 With the jaws 12 ad i '31 inuthe,

vantageous manner. justably I mounted on the arms manner hereinabove describedthey can be rotated so. that the connecter 10is carried in any desired" position with relatiointo the arms 31. Whenever it is desired touse the carrier 11 for handling fuses, or the like, the

jaws 12 canwbeeasily andquickly removed by removing the wing nutsand withdrawing the shanks 41 from the openings 42. A distinctive feature of the present invention is that the jaws 12 are comparatively small and are applicable to a device such as a fuse grabber to make it suitable for handling a wire connecter 10, thus making it unnecessary to have a complete special tool for handling the connecters in addition to the tools for handling fuses.

Having described only a typical preferred form of my invention I do not wish to limit myself to the specific details hereinabove set forth but wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims:

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An, attachment for a wire connecter carrier, the carrier having pivotally connected arms, including a pair of jaws adapted to be mounted on the arms to hold the connecter, the jaws including a part for positively holding the connecter and part-s for engaging the connecter to hold it rigidly.

2. An attachment for a carrier, the carrier having pivotally conwire connecter nected arms, including jaws adapted to be mounted on. the arms to hold the connecter,

the jaws having shanks by which they are attached to the arms with parts shaped to fit rigidly hold the connecter.

3. An attachment for a wire connecter carrier, the carrier having pivotally con nected arms and the connecter having an opening, including jaws to be mounted on the arms, a projection on one jaw to engage the opening in the connecter, and parts on the jaws engaging the connecter to hold it rigidly.

4. An attachment for a wire connecter carrier, the carrier having pivotally connected arms and the connecter having fiat parts and an opening, including jaws to be mounted on the arms, a projection on one j aw to engage the opening in theconnecter, and fiat parts on the jaws engaging the connecter to hold it rigidly.

and body portions In witness that I claim the foregoing have hereunto subscribed my name this 31st day of March, 1923.

FRED. A. BROWN.

and positively and, 

